Distant Memories and Old Dreams
by CompanionWolf12
Summary: As a child, Leya wanted to be a warrior. Stronger than any other. Because of that, she's always had a love for the Companions. She only truly knows how much she really wanted to be part of the Companions until she met somebody on the streets of Whiterun... Warning! Companions quest line spoilers and stuff like that. Rated T for violence. My second fanfic, hope you like it :)
1. Just Children

**Companionwolf here! Now, this is my second fanfic which I am going to show you guys and it has a similar theme to '****_Challenges of a Warrior' _****you know, the Companions and stuff. I think I should state now that most of my fanfics will be based on the Companions, but don't worry! I got other ideas up my sleeves... Cool ideas which I am pretty sure no one has written about yet! Hopefully! Anyway, without any more delays I give you... ****_'Distant Memories and Old Dreams'_****! I hope you like it! By the way, this isn't about the Dragonborn at all. Oh yeah, I only own made up characters (which you can probably guess are made up) and stuff. Okay, now the story:**

A little girl ran back to her small home in the little village of Riverwood after a day of running around and chasing her friends, but that wasn't all that happened that day. "Ma!" She called

The girl's mother came out of the cottage and smiled. "My little girl, how are you? Oh! What have you been up to? You're covered in mud!"

The girl twisted the fabric of her dress and frowned. "Oh..." She muttered.

Her mother merely laughed, "Oh it's fine! A little mud never hurt anyone, did it?"

They both laughed. "But that isn't what I was gonna say! Ma, I saw the Companions!" She squealed. "I wanna be a Companion when I grow up! I heard so many stories from Ralof about the Companions! That two of their warriors fought off one hundred and one orcs, I saw one of them today! Kodlak Whitemane!"

Her mother laughed kindly and ran her fingers through the girl's tangled hair. "I'm sure you could be a fine warrior when you grow up! Now come inside, you're filthy! Let's get you cleaned up and ready for dinner."

The girl grinned and ran into her little home. Throughout the night, she talked her parent's ears off about how good of a warrior she was going to be when she was older. "I'm gonna be greater than Ysgramor!" She said proudly, "and I'm gonna be more amazing than the Dragonborn of legend!"

Her father laughed and patted her on the head. "I guess that means I'm going to have to teach you some swordplay!"

The girl's eyes widened. "Really? You're gonna teach me?"

Her father chuckled. "Of course! Everyone must know how to fight! I'll make you a sword and everything, how's that?"

The girl squealed happily and hugged her father tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Now, my little warrior, you should get some rest."

The girl laughed and ran to her bed. When the girl's mother was sure that the girl was asleep, she turned to her husband and frowned. "Don't get her hopes up like that!"

"It's fine, she is a good child, living in dreams, she'll become more of a woman as she grows up. Besides, what harm could a few skills and a spare sword cause?"

The girl's mother shrugged and laughed. "Quite a few, but then again... You are right! Leya is just a child, I'm sure she'll grow out of it soon!"

* * *

The next few years that followed were happy, when she was ten Leya's father taught her little basics of sword fighting and a little bit of archery. She had her own wooden sword and toy bow, not with any arrows to accompany it though. Leya would often run around squealing and pretending to fight off imaginary armies and dragons, "I'm protecting Riverwood!" She would always giggle whenever someone questioned what she was doing.

In a matter of months she won all of the guard's favor. They all loved the little girl who jumped around and claimed she was a hero. "She has the potential to be a real warrior, that one. Very spirited and always ready." The guards would say to Leya's parents, who just shook their heads laughing.

It wasn't to surprising when she started joining the boys in little games including imaginary battles and whatnot. Before long, Leya could win even against the fastest of boys when it came to their little play duels with wooden swords and bark for armor. All the poor boys hung their heads in shame whenever Leya would defeat them. But on Leya's eleventh birthday, there was the biggest surprise her father had up his sleeve yet.

"Ah! There you are Leya!"

"Da! Da! Did you hear? I won against all the boys again!"

Leya's father laughed and tugged at Leya's long braid which hung down her back. "Ooh, we showing off now are we?"

Leya giggled and pulled her hair gently from her father's grasp. "Da, did you remember?"

Her father smiled warmly. "You thought I forgot your birthday? Of course not! I've got a special treat in store for you... I know you've always wanted to visit one of the big cities, well today we are going to the closest one. Whiterun."

Leya gasped and squealed excitedly. "I'm gonna go to Whiterun! I'm gonna go to Whiterun!"

She bounced around cheerfully, splashing mud on her dress and her father's trousers. "Hey now! Don't get mud all over me!" Leya's father laughed.

Leya spun around, her eyes gleaming. "When are we going?"

"As soon as you get out of that muddy dress."

Leya laughed cheerfully and ran back home to get out of her muddy dress. She pulled off her dress and pulled on tan leather pants which she mainly used when mucking around with her friends, which was why the smooth leather was now rough with scuff marks, then she pulled on a loose pinkish red linen shirt with sleeves a little bit to long for her. Knowing that her father had already packed a bag for them, she hurried out to meet with her father again. A thought relayed itself in Leya's mind: _I'm going to see Whiterun, the city where the Companions live!_

* * *

"Whiterun is _huge_!" Leya squealed.

She clutched her father's arm tightly as the pushed their way through the busy marketplace. Leya's eyes were wide, filled with wonder, as she took in the sights. Everything was so different about it compared to Riverwood! Except the guard's armor, which signaled which Hold they protected. Just when she thought she was going to finally be free of a crowd, someone was shoved between Leya and her father and she was quickly swallowed in the crowd. "Da?" Leya called.

She desperately pushed through the crowd and tried to listen for her father's voice calling her. Leya finally managed to free herself from the busy group of people, but still couldn't find her father. "_If you get lost, wait by the gate._" Her father had told her earlier.

Leya swallowed down her nerves and started to walk the twisting paths that she barely memorized. But then, she ran into some unpleasant children around her age. "Hey, boy! Oh wait, you aren't a boy! You're a poor farm girl!" A girl sneered.

A gang of around five children surrounded Leya as quickly as a pack of wolves descending on prey. "Yeah, look at her filthy hair and clothes!" Jeered another girl.

A boy snickered and pulled on Leya's hair. "What're you doing here, farm girl?"

Leya tried to pull her hair our of the boy's grip, but his grip was to tight. "I just lost my Da! I just came to Whiterun for a visit! Please let me go!"

Sharp pain shot through Leya's scalp as the boy who was holding on her hair yanked on her hair. "Aw... You looking for your Da!" The boy drawled.

The other children laughed. "What a baby, '_I'm looking for my Da!'_" One of the girls imitated cruelly.

"Yeah, she's so pathetic and weak!"

Leya felt anger swell in her veins at that comment. "I'm not weak!"

The children just snickered. "Yeah... _Sure..._"

"Really! Give me a wooden sword and I can easily win against all the boys in my village!"

"That's because all the boys in your village are pathetic and going easy on you!" Shot back another boy.

The other children burst into laughter, but it was quickly stopped by the voice of another child, a boy. "Stop bullying her!"

The grip on Leya's hair ceased, she gasped in relief and held her now ruined braid gently in her hands. She looked up to see who stood up for her. There were actually two boys, both nearly identical. They had silver eyes and dark hair, though one had their hair cut just above the shoulders while the other had their's slightly longer. The one with the shorter hair seemed to by smaller, but looked like the one who was more the head of the two. The children who were bullying Leya left shouting insults to the boys. "Go back to your parents, but wait... You don't have any!" And other things like, "Silver eyed freaks! You know I heard werewolves have silver eyes!"

The two boys seemed to take the insults well, not flinching or giving the other children satisfaction. When they left, the twin with the shorter hair came forward and crouched by Leya. "Are you okay?" He asked, the boy's voice had a slight accent which Leya heard once.

"Yeah... It's just that my scalp hurts... Thanks for helping me out."

The boy smiled. "It's fine, that group always bullies all of the kids in Whiterun. They were really mean to my brother and I before when we first came to Whiterun. My name's Vilkas by the way, and my brother's Farkas."

Leya stood up and pulled her hair out of it's ruined braid. "I'm Leya, um... What do you mean 'when you first came to Whiterun'?"

Vilkas cast his gaze down to the floor before sighing and looking Leya in the eye once more. "You don't seem mean like those kids, so I'll tell you. When my brother and I were a little younger, perhaps three or four years ago, we were kidnapped from our homes and taken to this necromancer's cult. We went through so many horrors back then, and after a year we were finally rescued, but by chance. A man named Jergen took us in, so now we live in Jorrvaskr. I don't know who are parents were, nor does Farkas... So we just stay with the Companions, and we'll do so until our parents are found. I don't know where we would be if it were not for the kindness of the Harbinger of the Companions, Kodlak Whitemane."

Leya's eyes widened. "You live with the Companions!"

Vilkas nodded. "Yeah, and when we come of age, Farkas and I are gonna join them."

"That's really really cool!" Leya squealed.

Vilkas laughed quietly. "Yeah, by the way, what are you doing here anyway?"

Leya's good mood faded. "I lost my Da in the crowd over by the market, this is my first time in Whiterun and I don't know the way to the gate..."

Then Farkas stepped forward. "We can show you the way." He said quietly.

Vilkas nodded with a smile. "Yeah! It's not to far, we can definitely show you."

Leya thanked the twins over and over again as they led her over to the gates of Whiterun, it wasn't long before she saw the familiar face of her father. "Here's the gate, I think that's your Da there."

Without thinking, Leya hugged both of the brothers. "Thank you so much! Maybe I'll see you another time, yeah?"

Vilkas looked over at his brother. "Yeah, maybe when you visit Whiterun again!"

Leya waved goodbye before dashing over to her father. "Oh Da! I'm so glad I found you!"

Her father stroked her hair. "I'm glad I found you again too, who were those two boys leading you here?"

"Oh, them? They were really kind and led me to the gate, they also stopped this group of mean kids from bullying me!"

Her father laughed. "Quite nice gentlemen I gather."

Leya nodded. "Yeah, they really were!"

With a smile her father held out an object wrapped in fabric. "While I was waiting, I got your birthday present for you. Happy Birthday."

Leya grinned widely and eagerly. She unwrapped the fabric and gasped. What she held in her hands was a short sword with a beautifully crafted scabbard with intricate gold and silver designs. The blade itself was steel and had a golden hilt, the steel had swirling patterns going from the hilt to the tip of the sword. At the butt of the sword was a small emerald embedded in it. "I made this while you weren't looking back at the forge at home. I found this emerald, along with two other emeralds, up in the mountains. I mined out the gold up in the mountains as well and I got the steel from Sae'rar, a Khajiit trader who visited recently, I hope you like your first real sword. When you're older, it can be a dagger!"

Leya stared at the beautiful blade for a little longer before embracing her father tightly. "Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Her father chuckled warmly. "I'm glad that you like it, when we get back home I'll teach you how to make a proper bow and some arrows to accompany it. Maybe when you're older I'll show you how to make armor."

If it was possible, Leya's smile widened and she squealed in delight. "Now, Leya, would you like to stay around here for a little while longer or head back to Riverwood?"

Leya looked back at the city once more, it was a nice looking place, but she missed the cozy little village nestled in the forest. "Can we go back to Riverwood? I prefer it there. But, Da, thank's for bringing me to the city anyway. I really liked coming here and just being able to see Whiterun for myself."

Leya's father smiled, he put his hand on Leya's shoulder and steered her towards the gates of Whiterun. Leya glanced back and gazed at the city, perhaps another time, when she was older, she'd come back.

* * *

"Are you sure that you don't like her?"

Vilkas sighed, crossed his arms and faced his brother. "Yes! I'm very sure!"

Ever since he'd helped that girl, Farkas would never let him hear the end of it. Always claiming that he like that girl, Leya. He'd even been so kind as to tell all of the other members of the Companions about his new 'girlfriend'. How could he even say that when he knew that the girl probably wasn't going to come back to Whiterun? But... To tell the truth, Vilkas did think that the girl was quite pretty, and nice too. It was cute when the girl became all wide eyed when he mentioned the Companions. Perhaps she would become one of the Companions later on in life... Perhaps... Vilkas dragged himself out of his thoughts as he walked up to the doors of Jorrvaskr after a day of wandering around the city. The old maid, Tilma, greeted him and his brother kindly as they walked in and informed them that she'd have something for them to eat ready soon. Farkas went off to the training grounds to practice swordplay, whilst Vilkas sat down on a bench in the corner of the hall. He preferred not to talk to the other Companions in the hall, they would always feel sorry for him about the one thing that he hadn't told Leya. Jergen's death. Just a few months ago, the man he viewed as a father was killed in the Great War. He didn't want to tell Leya about it, because he knew the response he'd get. "Oh... I'm sorry..."

Vilkas was tired of getting that response, it was one he heard from everyone. He'd go up to someone for a chat about the latest happenings and then, "Are you okay, I hope Jergen's death hasn't been too hard on you."

All the time! So now he had just given up trying to talk normally to other people. Most of the time, he just sat around or practiced with his swordplay. Vilkas let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He just couldn't figure out why he couldn't get thoughts of Leya out of his head... He thought back to what he said before and realized... Maybe he did like Leya, just a little bit. Vilkas really hoped that one day she'd return to Whiterun, and join the Companions.

**There's chapter 1! I really hope that you like it! Please review or like or follow and I will get an update on soon! For now, bye!**


	2. I Know You

**Another chapter update! Yay! I've always thought about how the Companions get jobs, so I made it so they get them through letters. Hope you like this chapter :)**

_19 years later_

_The Companions,_

_My dear niece has been kidnapped by bandits whilst she was out hunting, or we think bandits have kidnapped her. We were hoping you could send your members to find her and return her to Riverwood as soon as you can. We fear what might happen if nobody comes to save her... If you do find her, she should like something like this: She has golden brown hair, most likely pulled together in a loose braid, hazel eyes, she's quite tall, slender frame, pale skin and her war paint is dark red and is a stripe under each eye which travels down to her neck. Perhaps if you inform her that you are with the Companions, she will quickly go with you, for she has always been 'in love' with the Companions. Please bring my niece back safely!_

_ – Torfyn_

Vilkas sighed and looked around Jorrvaskr, the place was empty of any whelps. "I suppose I'll have to do this myself..." He grumbled.

He strapped his Skyforge Steel greatsword across his back and got a bite to eat before heading off. This was just a job to be done in Whiterun Hold, nothing special. He could finish it easily in a day, or less. Vilkas walked at a steady pace towards Riverwood, if the girl he was rescuing went hunting nearby this little village, she couldn't be too far. Once Vilkas took a turn to the mountain pass, he closed his eyes and sniffed the air. For a normal man, it would be completely useless to do such a thing. For a werewolf, sniffing the air was the best way to get to his target. The air smelled of pine needles and deer, which stirred the beast within Vilkas. He bit his lip and ignored the calls of the beast. He sniffed again, this time picking up a faint scent of wildflowers... A girl, or a woman. Mixed with that was the scent of fear and steel, perhaps she wielded a weapon. There was also the scent of mead, blood and iron... Bandits. Vilkas walked around the area for a little while, until he saw the glint of metal. He reached for his greatsword as he stepped towards where he saw the light shine against metal. Half buried in snow was a long dagger, not long enough to be a sword though, steel by the looks of it with a golden hilt that had an emerald embedded in it. Quite flashy. The dagger had that same scent of wildflowers lingering on the hilt... This must belong to the girl he was rescuing. She must have lost her grip on it when the bandits attacked. Vilkas picked the dagger up, perhaps he could give this back to the girl or give it to her to show that he wasn't going to hurt her. Vilkas turned around and sniffed the air once more, seeking the scent of the bandits. Soon, he found a trail and followed it.

* * *

Vilkas crouched in the shadows as he listened to what the bandits in the camp were saying. "You heard about what that raiding party found?" Asked a gruff voice.

"You mean about the pretty girl?" Responded a smooth, sly voice with a strange accent.

"Yeah, she says she ain't got any valuables, but did you see the scabbard for the dagger she claimed to have? Pretty fancy and intricate. I'd bet all my gold that she's a noble just pretending to be a poor ol' farmer!"

"That remains to be seen, the boss's got her in the next room, trying to get her to say the truth. So shut up and guard proper–"

The bandit was cut off as Vilkas ran his sword through the bandit, which turned out to be a Khajiit. The other bandit, an orc, was about to say something about an intruder when Vilkas decapitated him with ease. Vilkas made his way through the door which the bandits were supposed to guard and silently crept into the dark chamber. Then, he heard voices. "You're lying girl!" Shouted the one who was most likely the leader.

Then a female voice responded, "No! I'm serious! The only valuable thing which I had was that dagger which you made me drop! That was a gift from my father years ago! Please let me go!"

Why did this girl's voice sound slightly familiar? "Don't give me that crap! I know very well that you're hiding something!"

"I am not!" The girl responded desperately.

Vilkas walked forward a little more and managed to get a good glimpse at who was talking. The girl matched the description Vilkas was given perfectly, yet there was something that was _so _familiar about this girl... He furrowed his brows in thought, he just couldn't grasp what was so familiar. Had he met this girl before? Had he seen her around Whiterun? Vilkas shook his head, he could think later! Right now, Vilkas had to save her. He stepped out of the shadows and held out his sword. "Let her go." He commanded.

The bandit leader turned around and sneered. "Who're you?"

"The one who will remove your head from you neck if you do not let the girl go, so let her go or face the consequences!"

The bandit leader didn't want to go down without a fight, he pulled out his own sword and charged at Vilkas, who easily sidestepped and brought his sword down over the bandit's neck. "I did warn you." Vilkas muttered.

He turned his attention back to the girl, who had backed up against the wall. Vilkas could see that she was most likely quite afraid. "Who are you?" She asked shakily.

Vilkas sheathed his sword and offered a hand to her. "I'm Vilkas, I'm one of the Companions. Your uncle sent us a message notifying us of your capture, so I came."

Upon hearing his name, the girl's eyes flashed with recognition. "I think I know your name... I'm sure I've heard it before... Ah, never mind. I'm Leya."

That's when Vilkas remembered. "I have heard your name before, too... Wait... Aren't you that girl that got lost in Whiterun?"

Leya's eyes widened. "Yeah... You're the guy who helped me! I remember now! You're one of the Companions now? Lucky!"

Vilkas smiled, this was definitely the girl he'd helped all those years ago. She had that same sparkle in her eyes that she had before... "Yeah... Not so lucky when you have to deal with over excited whelps and people."

Leya frowned and crossed her arms. "Well someone's grumpy today."

Vilkas clenched his fists and took in a deep breath. "Can we just get you back to Riverwood?"

Leya nodded. "Fine... I'll get back to my boring life of pulling carrots out of the dirt while you get to slay monsters and vampires and save damsels in distress."

Vilkas couldn't help but laugh, the girl did have spirit. "Come on then, I know that you would just _love _to get back to your life."

Leya rolled her eyes and sighed in submission. "Fine..."

"Here we are, Riverwood. I presume you know the roads from here, so you go on ahead."

Leya turned around and flashed Vilkas a grateful smile. "Thanks for helping me out, I was starting to get in a little trouble back there..."

Vilkas smirked. "I had to save you again, didn't I?"

Leya laughed before running her fingers through her hair. "Oh... Did you by any chance come across a dagger? Emerald at the hilt and the blade steel?"

"You mean this?" Vilkas held out the dagger which he had found in the snow.

Leya gasped and grinned. "Yes! That's it!"

She took it from Vilkas's hands and slid it back in it's sheathe. "Thank you so much! I can't tell you how much it means to me! It's..." She trailed off.

Vilkas tilted his head. "It's..."

Leya turned to look in his eyes, tears welling in her eyes. "It's the only thing I have left that reminds me of my father... He passed away a few months ago, my mother died soon after... Refusing to eat or drink after my father had died... I now live with my uncle." She spat the word 'uncle' out like it was a terrible curse.

Vilkas nodded slowly. "Oh... I presume you and your parents were close then."

Leya nodded, dashing away the tears that started to trickle down her cheeks, smudging the war paint under her eyes. "Very close, I loved them dearly... Even if my mother didn't approve of me being a warrior."

Vilkas smiled slightly. "If you think you can be a warrior, come by Jorrvaskr." He said jokingly.

Leya's expression brightened. "Some day I will!"

She waved and dashed back to Riverwood. Vilkas smiled and turned back to face the path which would lead him to Whiterun. "It's not like she _actually _will..." Vilkas muttered to himself as he back to Whiterun.

**Please review, like or follow! **


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